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Post by ariella on Nov 10, 2021 16:49:26 GMT
I’m so glad it’s not just me! My friends used to think I was mad having two trees. What do you teach criswell? I’m very nostalgic over my decorations. Some of them are incredibly sentimental to me. Yours sound lovely and special too.
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Post by criswell on Nov 12, 2021 0:18:33 GMT
I teach science and maths ariella . No one has ever commented on me having more than one tree but I think people are used to us doing things a bit differently. I do enjoy the memories that go with my individual decorations and I always think about where I bought them from or who gave them to me when I put them on the tree. There are some that aren't really christmas decorations, like the wooden maple leaf shaped air fresheners that my OH's granmother brought us back from Canada many years ago, and the tree in the dining room is always topped with star fish finger puppet that was a present from my mum. We still have the first christmas tree that I bought with my OH in 1993 for £10. It's only about 3 feet tall but we couldn't afford a bigger one. We don't use it too often now but it's nice to decorate it now and then. We've decorated it as a halloween tree a few times too. I've not really felt very christmasy for the last few years but this thread has made me really look forward to decorating the trees this year.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Nov 12, 2021 17:14:37 GMT
Funny that you mention your memories associated with your Christmas ornaments criswell. When I was 9 years old we had a Christmas party at school and each the children got a little plastic horn which made a loud sound when you blew it. My sisters and I all got one which we kept blowing when we got home. Dad told us those little horns were tree decorations and proceeded to take them away and hang then on the Christmas tree! A few years ago I got a box of old family Christmas tree ornaments after dad pasted away. I still hang those horns on my tree.
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Post by criswell on Nov 12, 2021 17:18:02 GMT
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Post by ffiscool on Nov 12, 2021 21:26:13 GMT
All lovely with the trees and ornaments/memories. Love the decorated stairs.
Hard to believe it’s so close. I can’t say I’m feeling it yet, especially after last Christmas. Due to meet up with girls I used to work with on 16th December. I think being in London in a decorated restaurant etc will be nice.
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Post by criswell on Nov 12, 2021 22:13:53 GMT
I'm feeling it more this year than I have in a long time. I don't even mind that there are already Christmas adverts on the TV.
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Post by ariella on Nov 12, 2021 23:43:00 GMT
I teach science and maths ariella . No one has ever commented on me having more than one tree but I think people are used to us doing things a bit differently. I do enjoy the memories that go with my individual decorations and I always think about where I bought them from or who gave them to me when I put them on the tree. There are some that aren't really christmas decorations, like the wooden maple leaf shaped air fresheners that my OH's granmother brought us back from Canada many years ago, and the tree in the dining room is always topped with star fish finger puppet that was a present from my mum. We still have the first christmas tree that I bought with my OH in 1993 for £10. It's only about 3 feet tall but we couldn't afford a bigger one. We don't use it too often now but it's nice to decorate it now and then. We've decorated it as a halloween tree a few times too. I've not really felt very christmasy for the last few years but this thread has made me really look forward to decorating the trees this year. Science and maths, a double whammy of cleverness. I love teaching and educating my own children has been such a privilege. We made many wonderful Christmas memories through their childhoods. I’m really pleased you’re looking forward to the festive season. I like the build-up and anticipation much more than the actual event to be honest. We do things a little differently too and many years ago when the children were young, my husband and I asked ourselves why we were spending Christmas Day with me cooking the dinner and him with screwdriver, scissors and batteries opening the kids’ toys. By the time we’d eaten and cleaned up, the day was almost over. So the following year we tried having dinner on Christmas Eve instead and it was wonderful. All the cooking, cleaning up and time in the kitchen was done and so we had all Christmas Day to spend with the children. We haven’t and wouldn’t ever revert back. It’s a different sort of time now and once all the dishes are put away (washed by the rest of the family, not me as I do all the cooking!), I sit down with my cup of tea and gradually everyone joins me and most of them fall asleep! When they were young they took it in turns to do my hair, 10 minutes each, and I have wonderful memories of having a sort of Indian head massage while listening to carols and starting to drop off. I really miss that actually!!! Not sure I could get them all to do it now but if I could and their partners too… We have a very understated Christmas Day. My youngest son took many years until he was able to enjoy the festivities and it was a real juggling act giving him his ‘normality’ whilst ensuring his older siblings had the excitement and fun of the day. We literally used to put on his favourite DVD while the others unwrapped their presents. He loathed presents until he was about 7. Now he’s a teen, he still hates fuss, loathes cards and Christmas music, but likes his ‘party food’ and once he’s eaten, we let him disappear off to his room again so he can dip in and out as much as he wants to and can cope with. As soon as Boxing Day is done, I’m ready to move on and I can’t get the decorations down quick enough and have a full clean through. When hubby and I were young, we’d keep it all up til the epiphany, then after a number of years it came down on NYD, then went to NYE but I’d leave just the main tree up for NYD, then more recently it was all down the day hubby returned to work. This year as Christmas falls, it’s a bank holiday the day after Boxing Day but it’ll all still be coming down and I’ll have helpers to rope in! I love the music, festive bakes that have become family traditions, the festive films and I have a beautiful log I decorate and burn candles in for Yule, then really enjoy being in the kitchen cooking and sitting around the table with the family on Christmas Eve, and that’s me satisfied and happy. I always enjoy watching others unwrap their gifts but I don’t like receiving gifts much. It’s something that harks back to my childhood. I always go and put them all away straightaway as I can’t cope with presents hanging around for days on end. I don’t know how I coped when the kids were young!! I hate the thought of people feeling obliged to buy for me and yet I understand they want to in the same way as I enjoy buying for them, so I have a list and they know to stick to it. Just books, bath stuff and in the past ornaments I collect, etc. Then I know no one has ‘wasted’ their money as I know I will appreciate and enjoy all I receive. It really interests me how everyone has their own traditions and does it differently. From the start my hubby and I spent Christmas Day at home and refused to drag the kids out when all they wanted was to be at home with their new toys. Boy was it frowned upon but we stuck to our guns. I hated hearing people tell me they wished they had the guts to do the same but had to go to the in-laws on Christmas Day, Auntie’s every Boxing Day, etc. My adult kids know they can have their dinner here with their partners on Christmas Eve if that fits with them but after that we really don’t mind in the slightest what they choose to do. I hate the thought of them ever feeling any obligation. They have to do what they want and make their own traditions. Gifts can be exchanged whenever. I want them to be with their partners and go out with their friends and have a good time. To be honest Hubbs and I like being at home with the dogs, chilled out and spending the time snacking, watching tv, snoozing and relaxing and checking in on our son, making sure he’s happy and keeping him fed and watered. Blimey I rabbit on! I’d love to hear what parts of Christmas others like and also for those who may not celebrate Christmas at all, what they do instead.
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Post by ffiscool on Nov 13, 2021 0:08:16 GMT
It is nice hearing what others do/have done. I also prefer to give than receive. When I was a kid, I loved it, but I really don’t remember exactly what we did on Christmas Day. I’ll have to ask my brother.
When my nieces were young I’d go there for lunch and then onto my step family later in the day. Over the last however many years, we have been at my step sister on Christmas Day. Then played games. By then my nieces were older and then we did Christmas Day at my brother, on Boxing Day. So I had 2 days of it, love Turkey and the only 2 days I have it.
Last year I was at home due to restrictions. I was fine watching films. This year, my stepsister has been a bit odd. So I’m assuming it’s back to normal at her, but not sure sure. My nieces will be in USA over Christmas so we’re not doing Boxing Day - but having Christmas Day on Jan 3rd when they’re back and it’s also one niece’s birthday that day
I do like it all, but not being in the office, or regularly in London, it does feel very different
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Post by criswell on Nov 13, 2021 0:36:42 GMT
Thank you for sharing your Chrismas ariella It's a wonderful idea doing dinner on Christmas Eve instead! Your Christmas sounds lovely too ffiscool When my partner, David, and I first got together we had Chrismas with his family or mine. The first time we had Christmas at home by ourselves was lovely. As time went on we had more Chrismases at home either by ourselves or with my mum and stepdad, or David's Mum visiting between Chrismas and New year. She prefers to be at home for Christmas day so she can see her grandchildren. We had Christmas with my brothers family in Cornwall once but they didn't tell us that they'd had norovirus. My 2 year old neice was sick on Christmas day, had a little nap and then ate her Christmas dinner. We just managed to get home on Boxing day before we were ill. It was still a lovely Christmas visit. Since we started keeping pets we've had all our Christmases as home with visitors occasionally and David can sometimes fit in a couple of days visiting his mum before Christmas, depending on when the school term finishes or she visits us after Chrismas. If my Mum and Step dad aren't visiting us for Christmas day they will visit a week or two before Christmas and we have an early Christmas dinner, with crackers and Christmas pudding. They are havingn an early visit this year as they are spending Christmas with my stepbrother's family. I've never had to cook Christmas dinner for more than 4 people and that still makes a lot of washing up. On a typical chrismas I make and decorate christmas biscuits on Christmas Eve and sometimes we stil have a Christmas tree to put up. We too often stay up far to late on Christmas eve getting things done and we try to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas on Christmas Eve. We don't get up early on Christmas day and we have a very leisurely day. We have phone calls with family if they are not visiting which is often before we've opened presents. My Dad usually phones from Ireland. And then we eat Christmas biscuits while opening presents and watching some Christmas TV followed by a late breakfast. We aren't in a hurry to cook dinner so it's usually around 7 in the evening. And we watch Doctor Who if it's on. We like to watch as many Christmas films as we can. I love Scrooged, Meet me in St Louis and Arthur Christmas. I also like the Shop around the Corner which turns Christmasy by the end. When I was a kid we always watched the Wizard of OZ. Every year we plan to watch all the Chrismas films we have but we never manage to. Maybe this year will do it! We always find time to watch The Good Life Christmas special. The Christmas decorations stay up until the 6th Jan. I keep Christmas cards and wrapping paper to stick in my scrapbook.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Nov 13, 2021 22:10:24 GMT
Its nice reading what everyone does for Christmas. When my mother as alive (she died when I was 6 years old) we had very large Christmas parties the week before Christmas. She taught dancing school to children and adults so she would set up huge parties in the dancing school building behind our house. Christmas day was a family day. After she died, we no longer had the parties.
The Christmas decorations went up right after Thanksgiving Day (the last Thurs in Nov.). Dad loved Christmas and put lights all over the outside of the house, a big tree inside the house full of ornaments and all kinds of decorations inside the house. On Christmas Eve we exchanged gifts but were allowed to open only one gift. That was so Santa Claus would know where to put the gifts for each of us. On Christmas Day, we could look at what Santa brought then we'd go to church and when we returned, we'd open the gifts. My two older sisters and I shared the task of making Christmas dinner. From the time I was 8 years old, my task was roasting the turkey. Since dad always got the biggest turkey he could find (always over 25lbs), he would lift it in and out of the oven for me to baste. Plus the turkey was stuffed (my other task was making the stuffing and putting it in the turkey) which really made it heavy. We'd eat early in the afternoon. Starting around 5pm, we'd spend the rest of the evening visiting relatives.
I'll admit that I never enjoyed Christmas very much. Most of the time now I watch old Christmas movies on TV. I love The Bishop's Wife - the old version with David Niven, Loretta Young and Cary Grant, Its a Wonderful Life, White Christmas and any other movie made in that era. Most of the time I'll go to the midnight service at my church and then sleep in on Christmas Day. Occasionally I'll cook a turkey thigh for myself or I'll just have something I like but don't often make for myself. After the big commotion of Christmas when I was growing up, I now enjoy a quiet time. Once in awhile I'll enjoy a meal at a friend's but Christmas is a family affair so I'll typically decline an invitation.
Its great that families have their own traditions to celebrate holidays. I'm looking forward to a quiet time this year with Buddy and Tweetie Pie.
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Post by criswell on Nov 13, 2021 23:05:27 GMT
I really enjoyed reading about your childhood Christmases tweetiepiesmom. They sound very busy and lovely. My Christmases as a child involved waking up early to see what was in our Christmas stockings in bed. My older sister was in charge of putting the light on and would sometimes make me wait for hours. Then we'd open presents downstairs at a more sensible time, maybe 8am. Then we'd either my grandparents would come to us for dinner or we would visit them or one of my uncles. Sometimes we would have Christmas day on our own and have a family visit on boxing day. As we got older my mum was always awake before us, and more excited than we were. She's still wakes up really early and sometimes opens her presents at 5am. I've never seen The Bishop's Wife. I don't think it's on TV very often in the UK. I really like David Niven and Cary Grant. I don't know Loretta Young so well though. I just bought a copy on DVD and I'm sure we'll enjoy it. Thank you for mentioning it.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Nov 13, 2021 23:24:05 GMT
I'm sure you'll like it criswell. Its an old charming story.
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Post by ariella on Nov 14, 2021 13:34:54 GMT
I imagine it’s so festive with the decorations and lights in London that it just makes you feel full of Christmas cheer ffiscool. criswell, norovirus for Christmas sounds horrific! It sounds like a nice relaxed Christmas for you. Love the tradition of Christmas biscuits while opening presents. tweetiepiesmom, it must have been so awful for you losing your mum at such a young age. Despite your dad loving the holidays and trying to make it a big event, I understand why you disliked the time. I’m definitely one for loving a quiet Christmas. There’s nothing like a Christmas film. We take December off from schooling as our long holiday rather than the summer and have done for many years. I have so many happy memories of the children spending the time doing Christmas crafts with me, playing Christmas songs on the piano (my eldest could play the theme to the Snowman beautifully and if we had someone round, it was guaranteed to make them have a tear every single time) and I’d bake Christmas goodies most days and each afternoon we’d sit down and watch a Christmas movie. When it was my daughter’s final home Ed year we started on the Christmas movies a week early and watched all the Netflix and Hallmark Christmas films, which are a bit predictable but stuffed full of Christmas decorations despite probably being filmed in the summer. Now she’s at work, I’ve continued doing so! She and her boyfriend have some lovely times planned for December and with their birthdays on consecutive days too at the start of the month, I’m so looking forward to her having a wonderful time. Although my youngest son is home, he’s hit an age where he’s a bit hit and miss with the films now. Last year we watched a few in the afternoons together and I love it if I know a funny bit is coming up and he laughs. His laughter is so infectious and when it’s spontaneous I lap it up. I’m going to look up the films mentioned. Thanks for sharing. xxx
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Nov 14, 2021 16:07:41 GMT
You do have such lovely Christmases ariella! One of the TV channels here plays old movies and in Dec they play Christmas ones. I look at the listings and watch the ones made in the 1940's. They play some of the lesser known ones like "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" which is about an older homeless man who moves into a mansion in winter when the residents have moved south to a warmer climate. Another charming story. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they play the best known movies. I've noticed that some movies are now on YouTube. Christmas for me is definitely about fantasy!
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Post by ariella on Nov 14, 2021 17:03:51 GMT
It’s lovely to lose yourself in a good Christmas movie isn’t it? I love all versions of A Christmas Carol and Miracle on 34th St, but have to admit to having a soft spot for Richard Attenborough playing the lead. For modern films I have been known to cry watching Jack Frost. I think it got me again last year as Kelly Preston had passed and I thought how desperately sad as she was so beautiful in that film.
I’ve completed all my Christmas wrapping now except for the cheese board set as a joint gift for my eldest son and his girlfriend. Ive got a lovely acacia board, cheese knives, chutneys, gluten free oatcakes and crackers (he inherited coeliac disease from me) and I’ll get a selection of cheese close to Christmas. Ive also got a guitar case coming for son number 2 as he wants to upgrade now he’s in a band, but I’ll see how big it is before deciding how to wrap it. Might just be a big bow tied around it! 😂
Does anyone have a favourite Christmas Carol or song?
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